How Journaling Saved My Life

Loneliness takes over a person’s mind and absorbs any ounce of happiness in their life.

When you are left with negative thoughts it can lead to a dangerous place. It’s only a matter of time before that ticking time bomb explodes. Sadly, a lot of people keep their thoughts to themselves. I mean I get it, you don’t know who to trust, and most of all you don’t want your business out there for someone else to gossip about. I have been there and to be honest with you I still struggle with that from time to time.

2010-2011 was a rough year for me. I was hurt from a previous relationship and to top it off, I was alone. I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I only went to work because I knew that was something I had to do in order to pay my bills. However, during that time conversations were meaningless and I viewed my life the same way. My friends were getting married and I all had were my feelings and my apartment. Those days drove me insane! I went to work, did my duties, and rushed home to stayed in bed. I barely ate nor did I care if I had anything to eat.

When I relocated to another state I didn’t realize the importance of family. I was always around them and it’s true you don’t miss something until its gone. Well not quite gone but you catch the drift. I was 3 1/2 hours away from home and a phone call was not always good enough. One time I managed to go home but I had to drive back to Maryland Christmas night because I worked the next day. The weather was horrible and I refused to travel alone on a holiday again. With that being said holidays were a drag and the following Christmas I didn’t do anything. Despite living in a new town and being distant with family and friends I had to find happiness within myself, but during that time I didn’t know how.

It wasn’t until I revisit something that made me feel better. I grabbed a composition book and started writing. I don’t know what made me do it, but I’m glad I did. I wrote about how I felt and the thoughts that were going on in my head. Over time I noticed a positive change in my attitude and my outlook on life. Writing about my true feelings encouraged me to write more. In a matter of time, I was able to get back on track with eating healthy. I joined the gym and was able to engage in positive conversations with co-workers, family, and friends.

Journaling has many benefits, it practically saved my life. When you write about how you feel, you take that energy from inside and put it on paper. You can do it the traditional way and grab a composition notebook and write, or nowadays you can look into an e-journal. A lot of people are on their computers 24/7 or on their phones and find it easier to use a device to jot down their feelings on the go, at any given time.

Benefits to Journaling

Recognize issues– this can be a hard pill to swallow. We have to admit to issues we face in life. It makes me think about when people have an addiction and how they have to admit to it. The same goes for our issues. If we are afraid to be alone, we have to admit to it. If we lack motivation because we are scared of what success looks like, we have to admit to that too, (there are people out there who are afraid of success and that is okay). I had to trust myself whenever I would journal. There was no reason for me to journal if I was going to lie to myself. I came to grips that being alone was something I had to write about. Being single was not fun and the dating life was challenging. But, in order to get in the position I am today I had to go out there and date. Journaling allowed me to be true to myself and recognize what went wrong in my previous relationship and what I was not going to tolerate in the next one.

There was no reason for me to journal if I was going to lie to myself. I came to grips that being alone was something I had to write about. Being single was not fun and the dating life was a challenge. But, in order to get in the position I am today I had to go out and date. Journaling allowed me to be true to myself and recognize what went wrong in my previous relationship and what I was not going to tolerate in the next one.

Released Emotions– as I mentioned previously when you write you are releasing energy and emotions from within. You’d be surprised how much information is kept inside. I was (and still am ) an introvert. I rarely tell my business and the people I choose to talk to were not always available which was okay. I became comfortable writing my issues and clearing my head on what problems I faced at a time when no one was around. I learned how to obtain happiness. I didn’t have to depend on someone for contentment, which made me feel better about myself.

I Became Goal oriented – My expression was negative, positive, and in between. Despite my feelings, there were goals I wanted to accomplish. When I was feeling down I wanted to feel better, and if I was in a positive mood I wanted to continue to feel that way. Writing allowed me to focus on the topic at hand and encouraged me to come up with different ideas to engage in self-growth. I started writing a short story book, a few novels, and a website. I planned what I wanted for myself in the future and slowly but shortly I started living out my goals.

It Enhanced My Communication – I communicate better when I journal. I have a coherent mind and can focus instead of being emotional. When I am emotional or “in my feelings” I attend to not comprehend what is going on. Sometimes I find myself quick to answer and not be attentive when someone is talking to me. This comes off as being rude and is not effective communication.

Open Creativity – I can lack creativity and I am sure you can relate to this as well. It’s not easy coming up with ideas for writing. Especially when you are down in the dumps and don’t have the energy or motivation. When I write it strengthens my minds to be creative. It allows those creative juices to flow and before I knew it, I came up with ideas I only could dream of.

Journaling is not about jotting down negative feelings or bad experiences. It’s a coping skill and creative tool to broaden your horizons. I have confidence in my writing due to journaling. I have more than one journal for more than one topic (I know quite excessive). I have a journal I write in that pertains to my blog and career development. And when I became pregnant I started a journal about the changes in my pregnancy, which now has continued on with parenthood. I am five weeks into mommyhood and it has been a journey. When I have rough days or when I want to reflect, I look in my journal and remember where I was and recall how I was feeling that day. You can do it too. Get on the path of healing, communicating better, and self-growth.

Start journaling today.

-Jamie

Community Convo: Do you own a journal? If so what are some of the things that helped you during your journal journey?